The Last Mission
by ML Miller Breedlove
Summary: The Heroes finally get to evacuate the camp. Complete


The T.V. show Hogan's Heroes belongs to Bing Crosby Productions. No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred, and no infringement is intended.  
  
Weaving a Web to Freedom, Undoing the Past By Marty Miller  
  
This little short had been nagging at me, until I had to stop what I was doing and write it. I walked away from it several times, but no matter what I did it kept unfolding. So not knowing what else to do with it, I put it here.  
  
--The Last Mission --  
  
APRIL 15, 1945  
  
The Gestapo staff car pulled into Stalag 13 followed by a truck loaded with heavily armed soldiers. They had come in the dark of night. The cover of night seemed appropriate for the act they were about to commit. Hochstetter and two of his superiors went into Klink's office.  
  
"Colonel Hogan, I think you better come look at this, sir." Hogan climbed down from his bunk, where he had been thinking of home. With the war almost over, he had allowed himself the luxury of thinking about being a free man again.  
  
Hogan joined the crowd at the door. ~ Not now, not this close to the end. ~ "You're right Kinch, give the signal to start evacuating, and hurry, we don't have much time.  
  
*********  
  
"We've come to carry out Hitler's final orders for POW camps." Hochstetter was telling Klink.  
  
Klink was sitting starring at Hochstetter. He had hoped the Allies would arrive before this threat could be carried out, but he was out of time.  
  
"But we are so close to the end, what will this change?" Klink could not fathom watching this happen.  
  
"It will change nothing for us. We will all still stand trial for war crimes and pay the price for losing the war. But we will have the satisfaction of taking as many of the enemy with us as we can. And for me one execution, in particular, will almost make it all worthwhile."  
  
*********  
  
~There won't be enough time.I must prepare myself for "plan B". ~  
  
Hogan went into his private room and walked to the opposite corner of the room, moved his desk over and lifted up a floor board, revealing a vest of explosives. He took his bomber jacket off and slipped into the vest. Just a brief thought slipped into his mind of the home, he would never see again, before he reminded himself of the lives at stake here. He came out of his office zipping and readjusting his brown bomber jacket.  
  
This was the moment they had all waited for, the order to pack it up and go home. They had hoped they would be liberated, by Allied troops, but they would take a ticket home any way they could get it.  
  
"Is this really it, Mon Colonel."  
  
"Yes, Louis, we're closing up shop. I want to thank you men, for all you have given up over the last 3 years, to make this operation a success. And it was a success! Now, get moving."  
  
Hogan waited to hear from Kinch that the camp was almost evacuated and finally the word came. Hogan's men would bring up the rear, keeping the escaping prisoners moving in the right direction.  
  
"It's time to go Colonel," Kinch stood looking at his Commanding officer, who was somber faced and pale. "Louis, Peter, and Andrew are waiting for us at the other end of the tunnel."  
  
"Go get them moving, Kinch. I'll be along in a few minutes, there is something I need to do." Kinch hesitated. "Move, Sergeant, that's an order."  
  
"Yes, sir." Kinch ran for the tunnel and disappeared out of sight. ~ Good- bye Kinch, keep them moving, I can only give you a little additional time. ~  
  
Hogan headed out the door and straight for Kommandant Klink's office. ~ If Hochstetter finds out we've evacuated the camp, he'll have reinforcements in here combing the country side, but if I can cause enough confusion, eliminate the officers, I might be able to delay the search an hour, maybe two. ~  
  
"Colonel Hogan, come in, I was just about to have the Kommandant send for you." Hochstetter was eyeing the prisoner with satisfaction written all over his face. "The war is over, Colonel Hogan, at least for you and your men."  
  
Hogan just looked at Hochstetter, to determined to play Hochstetter's game. The pistol in Hochstetter's hand, told him what the Major planned to do.  
  
**********  
  
"Where's the Colonel, Kinch." The threesome wanted to know.  
  
"He has something he wants me to help him with, your orders are to move out immediately. We'll be right behind you. You've got to keep the men moving, don't let them stop until you are across the enemy lines or run into Allied troops.'  
  
Newkirk Carter and LeBeau, stood starring at Kinch until he yelled. "Move out now, you don't have time to waste." And they scrambled up the ladder and into the woods..  
  
Kinch turned and headed for the tunnel leading to Klink's quarters and the connecting office beyond. *********  
  
"Colonel Hogan, your time is up, we are going to go out into the compound and I am going to make an example of you. Your men will know it is fruitless to resist, when they see their Commanding Officer executed in front of them." Hochstetter reached out to grab Hogan's arm, when Hogan stepped back and opened his jacket. He was completely encircled in dynamite.  
  
Just then the connecting door to the Kommandant's quarter's opened. Hogan's and Kinch's eyes met briefly, but a volume was said between them in that instant. They would do this mission together, just as they had so many times before.  
  
Hogan held the small plunger connected to the wire running down his sleeve, he felt Kinch put his hand on his shoulder and they stepped into oblivion.  
  
***********  
  
The explosion echoed through the woods and the three remaining Heroes turned in time to see a fireball burst into the night sky.  
  
Louis started to run toward it, but Newkirk caught his arm. "It's to late mate, its over."  
  
"No," LeBeau pleaded. His voice barely a whisper, "How do you know, they may only be injured and need our help."  
  
"Louis, have you ever know the Colonel, to do anything halfway. He would make sure he, and Kinch, would not be left in the hands of the Gestapo."  
  
The tears were streaming down Carter's face.  
  
"Come on, we have a job to do, don't let this be in vain." Newkirk urged.  
  
Wiping their faces, they moved on in silence, on to the freedom, they had worked so hard to win.  
  
***********  
  
May 7 , 1985  
  
"Grandpa," Carter felt a tug on his sleeve, as he awoke. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings, to return to the present, from the war he fought, so many years ago. "Alex," he sighed. What are you doing here.  
  
"Dad and I came to give you some news."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Your book, the one you and your friends, from the war wrote, has made the best seller list... Are you crying Grandpa?"  
  
"It's ok, Alex. These are happy tears."  
  
~ I've got to go call Peter and Louis. I wonder what time it is in Europe. Colonel....Kinch, we're finally declassified, now the world will know of "Hogan's Heroes" and how a small band of POW's ended the War "one day sooner" than it would have ended with out them. ~ 


End file.
